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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "huge deposit" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • barr_ogbuji_esq@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "barr_ogbuji001" <barr_ogbuji001@terra.com.mx>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 10:34:34 -0600
Subject: prompt response


FROM BARR.Mike Ogbuji (ESQ)
Robert & ASSOSCIATES,
Albert Embankments, London
SE1 7SR, United Kingdom.

Your Attn,

I am Barrister. Mike Ogbuji (ESQ). I have a client, who bears almost the same name with you, a foreigner who used to work with Mekon Associates Company in London. On the 2nd of August 2003, my client and his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Manchester Express Road.All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost theirlives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my client relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the internet,to
locate any member of his family but of no avail, hence I contacted you.I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating the money left behind my client before they got confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Finance House where these huge deposits were lodged. Particularly, the Finance House where the deceased had an account valued at about (£9.8million) has issued
me a notice to provide the next-of-kin or have the accountconfiscated within the next ten official working days.

Since I havebeen unsuccessfully in locating the relatives for over nine(9)months now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to thedeceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at (£9.8million)can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money; 60% to me and 40% to you,I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may make, all I require is your honest co-o operation to
enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Since I can get all necessary legal documents on your name as the next of kin to my late client .

prompt response on (barr_ogbuji_esq@yahoo.com)

Yours Sincerely,
BARR.Mike Ogbuji (ESQ

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam